Center for Business and Economic Development

Welcome to the Center for Business and Economic Development! This center exists as an outreach center for the School of Business.

The Center for Business and Economic Development provides research, technical assistance and workforce development services using faculty, staff, and community resources to support and develop entrepreneurship, family businesses, and small and medium sized business (SMEs) as well other organizations in the extended community of the university. The Center also coordinates activities related to government grants, foundations, and other philanthropic entities and activities. Recent programming has been through the "Economic Development through Tourism Development" program.

From time to time, faculty of the School of Business provide a variety of consulting services, individually and in concert with others, to a variety of clients, paid and unpaid. This will not change with reactivation of this Center. A focus of this center, however, will be to expand and enhance the paid opportunities. These opportunities may exist with regard to individual or organizational entities or through grants, gifts, research programs or projects provided by government units, foundations or other entities.

Since May, 2006, Mr. Bill Barnes has been very active in the role of CBED Training Director. This role formalizes our outside training activities and provides some new development opportunities. Mr. Barnes has coordinated a training program for Hopkins Manufacturing supervisors and developed a training program for the state Mental Health Association professionals, among others. He welcomes the opportunity to meet and talk with other entities interested in ESU training expertise; his email address is: wbarnes@emporia.edu

Emporia State University is a dynamic and progressive student-centered learning community that fosters student success through engagement in academic excellence, community and global involvement, and the pursuit of personal and professional fulfillment.